Safe Haven- Carla and Michelle
by Berena
Summary: While house sitting in the wilds of Scotland, Michelle and Carla are brought closer together while trying to outwit a daunting figure- who lurks in the background and goes by the name of 'X' . Set in present time, not necessarily following all facts but based around recent storylines.


Michelle's heart was warmed by the sight of her best friend making her way down the weather beaten drive towards her car. Flicking the engine off, she got out and rushed to meet her, wrapping her arms around Carla's tanned neck on immediate contact. She was overwhelmed by a sudden rush of emotion. It was the first time she had seen her friend since the death of her son Rauiri and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt the security and comfort she so desperately needed. Carla understood. As she always did, and returned her embrace.

"I'm so sorry Chelle. I should have been there...I should have come as soon as I heard... I just..."

Tears were welling up in her own eyes, preventing her from saying what she had intended to. Instead, She allowed Michelle to crumple into her arms and held her for some time, there at the bottom of her drive, car doors flailing open in the sudden wind, Michelle's bags resting at their feet. The women were un-noticing. In that moment, it was as if they rest of the world had melted away. It was just the pair of them. Together again. Safe. When they finally surfaced Michelle was amazed to find that some of the hurt had dissolved, temporarily, at least.

Carla helped her friend collect her bags and to lighten the mood (although it was somewhat truthful) joked that the packing was excessive. Michelle smiled. A real smile, perhaps for the first time in a long time.

"Hmm I bet it's nothing on what you've brought!"

She jibed playfully.

"Oi, I've already been here in the wilderness for a full week..what do you expect"

Carla was house sitting for her auntie, in a desolate village the highlands of Scotland. She'd agreed as she thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a break and a quiet holiday but the uncountable miles of hillside, mist and general bleakness had proved lonely. And she'd figured that Chelle needed a peaceful get away too. The women walked arm in arm up the winding drive, where Carla showed Michelle into a cozy stone cottage. Surprisingly, it appeared much larger on the insides and boasted a vintage but appealing interior- enhanced by a roaring log fire, opposing a well worn fabric sofa. They took their places naturally, one at either end and avoided the elephant in the room by making small talk about the journey and the weather, indeed anything that kept the conversation away from babies and families and the perpetrators of all of the heartbreak. Men.

Some while later, Carla disappeared into the small (and typically for Carla) untidy kitchen in search of food and no doubt alcohol (which Michelle decided was far more likely to be discovered than anything nutritious). Michelle crouched by the vast window, taking in the stunning if a little daunting views, the mountain scape stretching out as far as the eye could see, framing the vast, Sky mirroring loch perfectly. Although she had always been a city girl, through and through, she had to admit this was impressive. She was so taken in, she didn't notice Carla beside her. She jumped violently.

"Woah- calm down! I'm not that scary am I?"

"Yeah.. You are actually..."

Carla let out a wry chuckle and took her place on the floor beside Michelle, filling their glasses expertly with metallic red liquid. It wasn't long until another bottle was required and the elephant in the room became unavoidable. Carla picked her moment carefully. She wrapped her arm around Chelle's slim shoulder, stroking her hair behind her ears.

"So tell me... Tell me about Ruairi"

She felt her friend physically stiffen.

"Carla I... I can't. I can't go there. Please. Leave it."

In a strange way, Michelle wanted the conversation to go on. She wanted to open up about her beloved son- to Carla more than anyone. But she couldn't find the words. It was as if they were there- she knew what she wanted to say- but they were stuck- hidden in a kind of sullen mist, totally un-reachable. And that, Carla understood. For she had been through it herself. She knew that in time the words would come. And she would be there, as Michelle had been for her. So instead of pushing the topic further, the women talked and drank, reminisced and laughed until the zeroes lined up on the clock. Although the women were over the moon to be back together and their reunion was as always 'just like old times' Michelle couldn't help but notice something felt a little different about them. Perhaps something that was always there but had only come to the surface after heartbreak and absence and maybe being away from the chaos and claustrophobia of Manchester.

"Night Carla"

She said rather suddenly, clambering to her feet. Carla waited, she had shown her into the guest room already and wanted nothing less than to make Michelle over powered. Perhaps she needed space now. Like she had. None the less, she couldn't help but peer through the door when she went to bed some twenty minutes later (when the remains of the bottle had been drained).

"Sleep well darling. You'll be alright. In time. I promise you that. I'm here... I'll always be here- whenever you're ready. You just remember that"

Michelle knew on the whole Carla was talking about Ruairi but she couldn't help noticing a undertone to Carla's voice and wondering if maybe, just maybe she was referring to something else.

"I'll always be here... Whenever you're ready...you just remember that"

The words played over in her head until she finally succumbed to sleep.

The clock showed 9:30 when Michelle awoke, bleary eyed and with a dry throat from the night before. She reached for her phone, only to find that the battery had drained. She had no urge to re-charge it so tossed it back into her open handbag. It wasn't long before she heard the distinctive sound of bare feet on the wooden floor and one of her favourite sounds- the sound of the kettle reaching boiling point.

Sure enough, some five minutes later Carla appeared in the door way, looking striking in a in a sleek burgundy nighty, her hair tied messily on top of her head.

"Morning sleeping beauty.."

She clambered onto the bed beside Michelle, dripping coffee as she did so. Michelle couldn't hide her amusement. Try as Carla might- she would never be a domestic goddess. Nether the less, she sipped the coffee gratefully as they discussed their plans for the day ahead. They concluded they would go for lunch in the nearby village, then perhaps have a walk- something relaxing- non taxing- a chance to talk and to spend time together, while 're-charging their batteries', so to say.

"You heard from Robert?"

Carla said (and Michelle could help noticing that it was said rather saltily) as they headed out towards the car. She shook her head, without revealing a hint of emotion and explained that she'd left her charger back home.

"There's one in the car, I'll stick it on"

That was all that was said about Robert, or any man for that matter, as the conversation diverted back to reminiscing on past times. The women laughed and chatted as they headed out across the countryside and once again, Michelle enjoyed the experience of feeling of her troubles fading from the forefront of her mind.

"You're phones back in the land of the living... You've got a message"

Carla announced, yanking the phone from the charging port roughly. She was right. A single message had appeared on the screen. The blood drained from Michelle's already pale face. Number with-held. 5 stark words were enough to convey a message with the power to at least considerably disturb her.

' I know where you are '


End file.
